While editing the new edition of the Rough Guide to West Africa, I've been using an excellent new map of the region published by
Reise Know-How, the lively German travel publisher, in their World Mapping Project Series. In fact there are two maps of West Africa, one covering the southern countries, from about 18°N southwards and one I haven't seen yet covering the northern part of the bulge. They're both double-sided, at 1:2.2m, in other words 1cm = 22km, which is almost twice the scale of the Michelin map of the region, the classic "Michelin 153", now the Michelin 741 which is 1cm = 40km. Curiously, the West Africa Michelin map has been out of print for several months and a new edition, due in May 2007, is still awaited. As Reise Know-How prints their maps on plastic paper called Polyart, they will actually survive a pounding for several months while you carry them around. They're certainly more detailed than the Michelin (compare these clips from the Bamako region), and indications are they're more accurate too. You can get them from good map stockists, like Stanfords in London, or direct from Reise Know-How. Highly recommended (and Michelin has had a long innings. . .).
While editing the new edition of the Rough Guide to West Africa, I've been using an excellent new map of the region published by Reise Know-How, the lively German travel publisher, in their World Mapping Project Series. In fact there are two maps of West Africa, one covering the southern countries, from about 18°N southwards and one I haven't seen yet covering the northern part of the bulge. They're both double-sided, at 1:2.2m, in other words 1cm = 22km, which is almost twice the scale of the Michelin map of the region, the classic "Michelin 153", now the Michelin 741 which is 1cm = 40km. Curiously, the West Africa Michelin map has been out of print for several months and a new edition, due in May 2007, is still awaited. As Reise Know-How prints their maps on plastic paper called Polyart, they will actually survive a pounding for several months while you carry them around. They're certainly more detailed than the Michelin (compare these clips from the Bamako region), and indications are they're more accurate too. You can get them from good map stockists, like Stanfords in London, or direct from Reise Know-How. Highly recommended (and Michelin has had a long innings. . .).
Great blog ... can you tell me if Rough Guides will include the Cote d'Ivoire in their next edition?
ReplyDeleteKind of you to say so Kira, but it needs a lot more tlc from me in the form of more regular posts!
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, no, we've not included Côte d'Ivoire in the next edition - there are just too many uncertainties about the country at present.
I can't wait for the next edition to come out: I've been using (& will continue to use, supplemented with local information) the present edition on my solo travels & an upcoming move there. but it contains a LOT of outdated information, which is not wholly surprising considering the countries in question. When will the next edn. be published?
ReplyDeleteThe next edition is at the printers and we should have copies in April. Sorry you've had to wait so long!
ReplyDeleteIf RG/WA is published biennially (a guess) will we be seeing a new one again this month (June 10)?
ReplyDeleteNo, fraid not! It's on a four year cycle, not two.
ReplyDelete